‘The Secret Life of Pets 2’ movie review

The attention span of today’s child is shorter than ever. It’s not just your kid. Welcome to 2019. There are multiple devices and shiny objects flying around everywhere, grasping for just a few minutes of a 5-year-old’s attention. Illumination Studios is well aware of that fact.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 takes the perfect approach at gearing toward today’s child by throwing cute, animated animals into a short and to-the-point adventure.

Geared To Your Kid

When I say “short and to-the-point”, I mean it. The Secret Life of Pets 2 — from start to credits — is 1 hour, 22 minutes long. The length makes sense. The movie is catering to kids and there is never a dull moment for them. The movie essentially follows three distinct storylines that are separate in the beginning and come together in the end.

First is our hero from the first Secret Life of Pets, Max (Patton Oswald), and his new buddy Duke (Eric Stonestreet). They’re spending a weekend out of the big city and run into some expected adversity along the way. Rooster (Harrison Ford) is a sheepdog who helps Max with some new skills he surely needs by the end of the movie.

Second, we have the crowd favorite Snowball (Kevin Hart), who has a new found identity as a superhero. He runs into a new dog in town, Daisy (Tiffany Haddish), and they head out for an adventure that turns into a bit of a circus.

Finally, we have Gidget (Jenny Slate), who is always ready to prove herself to Max and jumps at the chance to guard his most prized possession. The determined doggo will stop at nothing to land on her feet when she’s knocked down by adversity during her task.

The three storylines act as a kind of segmented TV show kids are used to, showing short bursts of story and moving on to the next scene. With this format, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is perfect for today’s kid.

Personally, I think the story is jumbled and quick. But we’re talking about a kids movie here. Entertainment is king over the story. The movie delivers in that department.

Character Connections

Any good animated movie has characters that resonate with kids long after the end credits roll. Mainly so the studio can sell merchandise, but also to keep the kids invested. The Secret Life of Pets 2 is no different.

Snowball pops off the screen in the movie. He was a crowd favorite in the original, and in the sequel, he’s as much the main character as Max. He’s outrageously funny, and by far gets the biggest reaction from children in the theater. Making him a superhero in The Secret Life of Pets 2 only adds to that and it’s actually kind of brilliant. This is the stuffed animal parents will be buying.

Seeking out a pet that you’ll resonate with as a parent? Look no further than Chloe (Lake Bell) the disgruntled (and a touch overweight) cat. Not that you’re disgruntled and a touch overweight as a parent. I’m not saying that at all. I promise. Chloe just most closely resembles the adult in the room, and she has most (if not all) the quippy lines that are geared toward parents. When you have your laughs, Chloe will be the source.

Should I Go See The Secret Life of Pets 2?

This one has a pretty limited audience, though it will still probably do a monster number at the box office. The only way to see The Secret Life of Pets 2 is with a child to keep him or her entertained for 82 minutes. And make sure you have plans afterward if you want to have a full day.

About Steve Richards

First and foremost, I love anything Philly sports; that includes the Phillies, Sixers, Eagles, Flyers and Union (that’s a soccer team). I’m also a fan of the English Premier League squad Manchester City. In the college ranks, I follow the football, basketball, and baseball teams of both Penn State and the University of Texas. I work for SportsNetworker.com, where I am the COO. I also cover a variety of high school sports for The Reporter and PaPrepLive.com as a freelance writer. On the broadcast journalism side of things I'm a co-host of the Prime Time Fantasy Football and Showcast podcasts on Next Level Radio. You can check that out right here. You'll also find me on Twitter discussing a multitude of things. Feel free to give me a follow over there.

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About Steve Richards

First and foremost, I love anything Philly sports; that includes the Phillies, Sixers, Eagles, Flyers and Union (that’s a soccer team). I’m also a fan of the English Premier League squad Manchester City. In the college ranks, I follow the football, basketball and baseball teams of both Penn State and the University of Texas.

Currently, I'm a project manager for a company called Project Life Mastery. It's a company whose ultimate purpose is to grow, give, and support people in reaching their ultimate goals in life. We have a lot of fun while also being productive and helping people. Check us out when you have a chance.

As a writer I'm a freelance reporter for my local newspaper, The Reporter, and PaPrepLive.com. I cover a variety of high school sports on those platforms. I also write a variety of pop culture content for an awesome site called Pure Fandom.